Routers or laminate cutters are widely used in woodworking operations and in the fabrication of furniture and other articles. In the fabrication of counter tops and desk tops, for instance, exposed surfaces are often finished by applying laminated platic sheets to the surfaces, and it is often necessary to perform a finishing operation by trimming or routing the edge line formed by the juncture of two laminate surfaces. As an example, if the top and sides of a counter top are covered with laminate sheets, the laminate sheets may overlap requiring that the overlapping laminate sheet be trimmed flush with the exposed surface of the other laminate sheet to provide a square edge. Likewise the trimming operation can be used to bevel or radius the edge.
The prior art discloses a variety of hand operated tools for carrying out this edge trimming operation. Most conventional routers or trimmers utilize a motor driven blade that is mounted with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the plane of a flat-surfaced guide plate. For trimming the edge formed by the juncture of two laminate sheets, the guide plate is rested on the surface of the overlapping sheet to support and guide the tool as the cutter is moved perpendicular to the material to be cut. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,842,173 to Turner et al. and 2,960,126 to DeMan are representative of this type of router. A problem with these types of routers is that they are not effective in areas of limited access, such as in blind corners, because the movement of the tool is limited by the sides of the guide plate and motor interfering with the adjoining walls of the blind corner. Another problem with this type of tool is that, if the guide plate needs to be rested on a curved surface such as the edge of a round table, poor support and guidance is provided for the tool and consequently the workpiece may be marred.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,454,061 to Cordone et al. and 3,494,395 to Graham attempt to solve these problems by utilizing a triangular shaped guide plate and a blade offset from the motor. This structure, although an improvement, still does not allow the router to function completely in a blind corner or with a curved guide surface.
Another prior art tool dislcosed in Strakeljahn U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,372 utilizes a pair of guide feet in place of a planar guide plate to provide support and guidance for the cutter. Although this construction functions effectively in blind corners, a relatively long cut must be made without guidance before the guide feet may be utilized. Also, the tool requires a number of adjustments prior to usage.
The present invention is a new and improved tool which overcomes the above shortcomings of the prior art. The tool functions in areas of limited access such as blind corners and can be used effectively if curved or irregularly shaped surfaces are encountered. In addition, beveled or radiused edges may be cut with no adjustments to the tool.